** Under the contingent vote system, voters may rank up to three candidates. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of counting, ballots whose first ranking are eliminated candidates are redistributed to the next-ranked candidates on those ballots. The winner is the candidate with the most votes after this second round of counting.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected through a contingent vote system to serve a 6-year term.

The Prime Minister is largely a ceremonial role.

In the Parliament 225 members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve 6-year terms. *

* Parties must clear a threshold of one-eighth of votes to win seats in the respective constituency. Each voter may cast three preference votes.

Election Note:

On Thursday 8 January 2014, Sri Lanka will hold an election for president.[i] The election was moved up by almost two years.

Main candidates in the electoral race:

Candidate: Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA

Party: United People's Freedom Alliance

Candidate: Maithripala SIRISENA

Party: New Democratic Front (NDF)

Candidate: Wilmal GEEGANAGE

Party: Sri Lanka National Front

Candidate: Aithurus M. ILLIAS

Party: Independent

Candidate: Siritunga JAYASURIYA

Party: United Socialist Party

Candidate: JAYANTHA KULATHUNGA

Party: United Lanka Great Council

Candidate: A.S.P. LIYANAGE

Party: Sri Lanka Labour Party

Candidate: Sundaram MAHENDRAN

Party: Nava Sama Samaja Party

Candidate: Sarath MANAMENDRA

Party: New Sinhala Heritage

Candidate: Maulawi Ibrahim Mohanmed MISHLAR

Party: United Peace Front

Candidate: Duminda NAGAMUWA

Party: Frontline Socialist Party

Candidate: Ruwanthileke PEDURU

Party: United Lanka People’s Party

Candidate: Anurudha POLGAMPOLA

Party: Independent

Candidate: Prasanna PRIYANKARA

Party: Democratic National Movement

Candidate: Namal Ajith RAJAPAKSA

Party: Our National Front

Candidate: Battarmulle SEELARATHANA

Party: Jana Setha Peramuna

Candidate: Ratnayake Arachchige SIRISENA

Party: Patriotic National Front

Candidate: Muthu Bandara THEMINIMULLA

Party: All Are Citizens, All Are Kings Organization

Candidate: Pani WIJESIRIWARDENE

Party: Socialist Equality Party

Last election:

The last election for the office of president in Sri Lanka was held on 26 January 2010.[ii] Turnout was 74.50 percent and 10,495,451 of 14,088,500 people casted ballots.[iii] Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA of the United People’s Freedom Alliance won 57.88 percent or 6,015,934 votes, while his opponent, Sarath FONSEKA of the New Democratic Front, won 40.15 percent or 4,173,185 votes.[iv] Results can be found here.